Shells, and Shell-Guns

Shells, And Shell-Guns by John Adolphus Bernard Dahlgren Shells, And Shell-Guns is a historical-technical treatise on naval artillery. Dahlgren surveys the development, construction, and use of shells and shell-guns, explains the differences between hollow and solid projectiles, and details the roles of fuzes (concussion, percussion, and Bormann) in explosive shells. He traces the influence of Paixhans and the Nouvelle Arme on modern naval ordnance, discusses excentricity in shells and the concept of compensating masses, and analyzes how shell performance depends on range, target material, and weapon design. The book also covers experimental practice at the Washington Navy Yard, methods for obtaining ranges (plane-table techniques and alidades), and the physics of projectile motion and rifle-like spin. It compares the armaments and batteries of the major navies (United States, Britain, and France), the unit-calibre system, and the battlefield and siege outcomes of Sinope, Kinburn, Bomarsund, and Sevastopol, illustrating the disruptive potential of shells in naval warfare. This work remains a foundational reference on naval artillery and its evolution.